SM_ATL's Carrera S Journal
Life is about changes...
I have been working for a few month on a E46 M3 project that is now very close to completion. All the essentials have been taken care off: SMG pump, coilovers, camber plates, brakes, wheels and tires, thorough engine maintenance etc. and it is running strong.
Meanwhile, I have found myself pushing my 991 harder and harder on the track and getting more and more 'scares'. The 991 is the best car I have ever driven, but when you start to get close to using 90% of its potential (at best, I am not sure I am up to that level...), with nannies off and at the speed it goes, you must be ready to face the consequences... which I am not sure I am
.
So, I'll be going back down the road of a dedicated track car (the E46 M3) that I may wreck with less heartache and more limited financial consequences. I may get crucified by purists for this comment but I have taken the M3 to Road Atlanta and had more fun than with my previous 996 track car. Maybe because it is easier to handle at the limit and I am not such a great driver, but that was at least my perception.
Back to the 991, it means that I'll take it back to stock and that my track aftermarket parts should be for sale soon: OEM Porsche bucket seats, BBI roll bar, Exhaust (maybe not... I like it so much), Brembo 15" BBK w/Pagids pads, BBS CHR wheels, Schroth harnesses, all of them in very good condition. They should show up in the classified over the next week or so. If you are looking for something specific, you can always PM me.
I'll still enjoy the 991 a lot on the road and on occasional DE's, but not with the intensity I used to
... and beat the **** out of the old M3!
I have been working for a few month on a E46 M3 project that is now very close to completion. All the essentials have been taken care off: SMG pump, coilovers, camber plates, brakes, wheels and tires, thorough engine maintenance etc. and it is running strong.
Meanwhile, I have found myself pushing my 991 harder and harder on the track and getting more and more 'scares'. The 991 is the best car I have ever driven, but when you start to get close to using 90% of its potential (at best, I am not sure I am up to that level...), with nannies off and at the speed it goes, you must be ready to face the consequences... which I am not sure I am
.So, I'll be going back down the road of a dedicated track car (the E46 M3) that I may wreck with less heartache and more limited financial consequences. I may get crucified by purists for this comment but I have taken the M3 to Road Atlanta and had more fun than with my previous 996 track car. Maybe because it is easier to handle at the limit and I am not such a great driver, but that was at least my perception.
Back to the 991, it means that I'll take it back to stock and that my track aftermarket parts should be for sale soon: OEM Porsche bucket seats, BBI roll bar, Exhaust (maybe not... I like it so much), Brembo 15" BBK w/Pagids pads, BBS CHR wheels, Schroth harnesses, all of them in very good condition. They should show up in the classified over the next week or so. If you are looking for something specific, you can always PM me.
I'll still enjoy the 991 a lot on the road and on occasional DE's, but not with the intensity I used to
... and beat the **** out of the old M3!
LOL! Yes, the rest is just purely track oriented and not needed for daily driving. The exhaust note is enjoyable everyday !
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 94
From: Chicago
Rep Power: 21
Magnet numbers don't stick on the 991 doors ... I've tried ;-))
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 594
From: Milwaukee
Rep Power: 54
Life is about changes...
So, I'll be going back down the road of a dedicated track car (the E46 M3) that I may wreck with less heartache and more limited financial consequences. I may get crucified by purists for this comment but I have taken the M3 to Road Atlanta and had more fun than with my previous 996 track car. Maybe because it is easier to handle at the limit and I am not such a great driver, but that was at least my perception.
Back to the 991, it means that I'll take it back to stock and that my track aftermarket parts should be for sale soon: OEM Porsche bucket seats, BBI roll bar, Exhaust (maybe not... I like it so much), Brembo 15" BBK w/Pagids pads, BBS CHR wheels, Schroth harnesses, all of them in very good condition. They should show up in the classified over the next week or so. If you are looking for something specific, you can always PM me.
I'll still enjoy the 991 a lot on the road and on occasional DE's, but not with the intensity I used to ... and beat the **** out of the old M3!
So, I'll be going back down the road of a dedicated track car (the E46 M3) that I may wreck with less heartache and more limited financial consequences. I may get crucified by purists for this comment but I have taken the M3 to Road Atlanta and had more fun than with my previous 996 track car. Maybe because it is easier to handle at the limit and I am not such a great driver, but that was at least my perception.
Back to the 991, it means that I'll take it back to stock and that my track aftermarket parts should be for sale soon: OEM Porsche bucket seats, BBI roll bar, Exhaust (maybe not... I like it so much), Brembo 15" BBK w/Pagids pads, BBS CHR wheels, Schroth harnesses, all of them in very good condition. They should show up in the classified over the next week or so. If you are looking for something specific, you can always PM me.
I'll still enjoy the 991 a lot on the road and on occasional DE's, but not with the intensity I used to
... and beat the **** out of the old M3!Marc
I'll get back to you tonight when I am back in town !
I'll surely miss the 991 on the track, but I'd rather miss it there than on the track AND the road if wreck it
I'll keep doing PCA or Hooked on Driving events with the 911 as they are a lot less agressive but do not need a track setup for that. I'd rather enjoy my cooled seats and comfort features for daily driving...
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,806
From: Dallas
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Prototype testing of the AWE Tuning 'Foiler' Wind Deflector
AWE Tuning is getting near to completion of their anti-buffeting solution. As part of their real world testing, they gave me the opportunity to try a prototype on the track (Road Atlanta) at high speed (>135mph) last week end during a DE organized by Chin Motorsports. They told me they had the foiler already tested on their in house 991 Turbo but would welcome additional feedback, including how the product would perform during track days.
The prototype I got for testing was not made of the final material and was only for the driver side, but it was enough to evaluate its performance. For those who have taken their 991 to Road Atlanta, the back straight is long and fast, depending on the conditions you can hit 130-155mph before decelerating for turn 9, but is almost unbearable due to buffeting. Vibrations become so loud that they almost become a distraction.
Recording sound is a challenge on the track when you only have limited equipment (GoPro's), but I tried to do my best using footage from February without the foiler and from last week end. I would suggest to listen to the video clip using earphones as they give a better idea of how loud the buffeting is.
The reduction in buffeting was dramatic IMHO. Of course, there is always a lot of 'regular' wind noise, but it can hardly be avoided driving at these speeds with both windows down. Installing another foiler on the passenger side would probably have made it completely perfect on top of keeping the car symmetric
AWE told me that they would sell the kit in pairs (driver + passenger). I will most certainly install the commercial version of the foiler once it becomes available.
.
AWE Tuning is getting near to completion of their anti-buffeting solution. As part of their real world testing, they gave me the opportunity to try a prototype on the track (Road Atlanta) at high speed (>135mph) last week end during a DE organized by Chin Motorsports. They told me they had the foiler already tested on their in house 991 Turbo but would welcome additional feedback, including how the product would perform during track days.
The prototype I got for testing was not made of the final material and was only for the driver side, but it was enough to evaluate its performance. For those who have taken their 991 to Road Atlanta, the back straight is long and fast, depending on the conditions you can hit 130-155mph before decelerating for turn 9, but is almost unbearable due to buffeting. Vibrations become so loud that they almost become a distraction.
Recording sound is a challenge on the track when you only have limited equipment (GoPro's), but I tried to do my best using footage from February without the foiler and from last week end. I would suggest to listen to the video clip using earphones as they give a better idea of how loud the buffeting is.
The reduction in buffeting was dramatic IMHO. Of course, there is always a lot of 'regular' wind noise, but it can hardly be avoided driving at these speeds with both windows down. Installing another foiler on the passenger side would probably have made it completely perfect on top of keeping the car symmetric
AWE told me that they would sell the kit in pairs (driver + passenger). I will most certainly install the commercial version of the foiler once it becomes available.
.
Thanks for testing it Serge and for sharing the results with us.
ChuckJ
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 27
From: Edgewater
Rep Power: 14
that is sad to hear
I had a dedicated E46 M3 track car - http://pkumarm3.wordpress.com
I had it all - gutted, motons, gc sways, cobra suzuka seats, kirk bar, harnesses, etc. I just didn't want to have an expensive paper weight that gets driven 10-20 times a year.
Good luck. The E46 M3 is a great chassis but needs about 30k of work to get it to proper track running.
I had a dedicated E46 M3 track car - http://pkumarm3.wordpress.com
I had it all - gutted, motons, gc sways, cobra suzuka seats, kirk bar, harnesses, etc. I just didn't want to have an expensive paper weight that gets driven 10-20 times a year.
Good luck. The E46 M3 is a great chassis but needs about 30k of work to get it to proper track running.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 563
From: St. Louis
Rep Power: 43
Is this available for purchase yet?
Not quite yet, we sent them to Serge for his impressions and to verify their functionality at track speeds.
Next step, deciding what material(s) to offer them in.
Next step, deciding what material(s) to offer them in.